Andover students and alumni alike have vivid memories of Morse Hall. From cramming for exams in the Math Study Center to solving complex problems in a classroom, the name “Morse” holds personal significance for many. However, the racist and xenophobic ideas tied to the name of Morse Hall call for the removal of the name from the building. Samuel F. B. Morse, though famous for developing Morse code, actively vilified immigrants and sponsored the institution of slavery. A school as dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as Andover is obligated to remove a name bearing such roots.
Samuel Finley Breese Morse attended Andover from 1801 to 1805, then
graduated from Yale University in 1810. Morse gained wealth and fame through the invention of the telegraph and the development of the Morse Code, both of which spread throughout the world within his lifetime. In 1900, Morse was inducted into the National Hall of Fame, becoming the second Andover graduate (after Oliver Wendell Holmes) to be selected for the list. According to the Men Of Andover by Claude Fuess, this honor contributed to the then–science building being named after Samuel Morse. While it’s undeniable that Morse produced many notable achievements, his academic accolades often overshadow his racist ideals. In 1835, Morse ran to become the mayor of New York City on the “Nativist” ticket, an anti-immigrant and pro-slavery movement of the time. Leveraging his political power, he further published views opposing “outside agitation” against Southern slavery. Thirty years later, Morse became a renowned pro-slavery activist. He further described enslavement as a “divinely ordained discipline of the human race,” accusing anti-slavery activists of going against God’s will. Eventually, Morse became the president of two prominent pro-slavery organizations at the time: The American Society for the Promotion of National Unity and Society for the Diffusion of Political Knowledge. The prior institution, upon its launch, “thanked God that four million beings, incapable of self-care, were entrusted to Southerners.” Likewise, Morse’s unabashed support of enslavement supplemented unjust legitimacy to the institution that stripped away the rights of millions of African Americans.
Morse also spread xenophobic ideals by vilifying immigrants. In 1835, Morse established the first anti-immigration party, the Native American Democratic Association. The institution supplemented their xenophobic views with populist appeals, arguing that the European immigrants taint the purity of the country. They proposed initiatives that delayed the civic process through which immigrants could become citizens, vote, or run for elections, and further alienated Irish and German Catholics for their devotion to the Pope. Morse blamed the poverty and the crimes in the slums to the immigrants, describing them as “filthy and ragged in body, ignorant in mind… they fill your streets with squalid beggary, and your highways with crime.” The anti–immigration political movement founded by Morse went on to implement discriminatory policies based on nationality and ethnicity throughout the early twentieth century.
The aforementioned actions contradict the values that Andover hopes to convey. Andover takes pride in “value[ing] the educational continuum that diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts represent for our community.” In recognition of the ongoing implicit discrimination of racially marginalized students on campus, the school even established the Andover Anti-Racism Task Force in September, 2020. The official school website explains that the task force aims to explore “potential avenues that would move the school closer toward its goal of being an inclusive institution committed to educating youth from every quarter.” But Morse’s beliefs and activism contradict these values; they are a direct assault against community members who are racially marginalized individuals or immigrants.
Some critics may argue that the name of the building symbolizes its tradition and history, and thus should not be replaced. Examples of numerous universities and boarding schools changing the name of their buildings to preserve their values further testify to the need for a change on Andover’s campus. In 2017, the Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut renamed the Mason Hall after the Student Council petitioned to change the name of the dormitory. The Mason Hall was initially named after John Mason, who killed hundreds of innocent residents by burning the Pequot village to the ground, leading to his heroic reputation among English settlers. In the Head of School’s long letter explaining the decision, she wrote, “Many members of the Loomis community find the Mason name out of keeping with our values as a school and, in particular, with our desire to be a welcoming community for all students from all backgrounds.” Similarly, also in 2017, Yale University renamed Calhoun College, due to “John C. Calhoun’s legacy as a white supremacist and a national leader who passionately promoted slavery as a ‘positive good’ [that] fundamentally conflicts with Yale’s mission and values.” Many educational institutions have demonstrated the courage to stand firm for its missions and beliefs through renaming buildings that honor people with values that contradict our community. Andover has the duty to do so as well.
Alternate names for the building remain unclear. Some possibilities include Holley Hall, after Joseph Winthrop Holley, Class of 1900, an African American founder of the Albany State University, and Jackson Hall, after Alexander L. Jackson, Class of 1910, an African American business owner and civic leader. Regardless, the priority lies in honoring an individual who represents the academy’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Though the name of a building might not seem important, it represents the values the school conveys to its students, alumni, and at large, the world. Thus, the administration must take immediate steps to replace the name of the Morse Hall.
